Illinois quick hits: Deer harvest totals; IHSA voting begins | Illinois
Deer harvest totals Illinois hunters harvested a preliminary total of 51,409 deer during the first weekend of the state’s firearm deer season Nov. 21-23, down from 54,661 deer harvested during the first firearm weekend in 2024. Illinois’ seven-day firearm deer season is scheduled to conclude Dec. 4-7. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is reminding […]
‘Trouble in Toyland’ report sounds alarm on AI toys | National
(The Center Square) – Parents should take precaution this holiday season when it comes to artificial intelligence toys after researchers for the new Trouble in Toyland report found safety concerns. Illinois Public Interest Research Group Campaign Associate Ellen Hengesbach said some of the toys armed with AI raised red flags ranging from toys that talk […]
IL congressman’s retirement announcement sparks calls for election fixes | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Common Cause Illinois is urging lawmakers to close what it calls an “anti-democratic” loophole after Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García cleared the path for his chief of staff to run unopposed. García, D-Chicago, filed for reelection on Oct. 27, but minutes before the Nov. 3 deadline, his chief of staff entered the […]
Illinois quick hits: Migrant youth allegedly murdered homeless Chicago man | Illinois
Migrant youth allegedly murdered homeless Chicago man Three juvenile Venezuelan migrants are part of a group that allegedly attacked, murdered, and robbed a homeless man in downtown Chicago early Sunday, according to prosecutors and a Chicago police report. CWB Chicago reports that a 16-year-old boy and two 14-year-old boy are facing charges in connection with […]
Federal court blocks Trump from dismantling four agencies | National
(The Center Square) – A federal court has issued a permanent injunction stopping the Trump administration from dismantling four federal agencies that deal with issues varying from libraries to homelessness. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled the executive branch violated the Administrative Procedure Act, as well as the U.S. Constitution’s Take […]
Inflation-adjusted teacher salaries drop despite record spending on public education | Illinois
(The Center Square) – A new report says structural problems have led to record-high spending on public education in Illinois and across the United States. Reason Foundation’s K-12 Education Spending Spotlight 2025 found that record-high funding of U.S. public schools is approaching $1 trillion. The report author, Reason Foundation Director of Education Reform Aaron Garth […]
WATCH: Dems leave, Chicago Flips Red VP testifies at Senate Judiciary Committee hearing | Illinois
(The Center Square) – A member of a grassroots Chicago organization has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, but committee members from the Democratic Party left before she spoke. Wednesday hearing in Washington was titled, “ICE Under Fire: The Radical Left’s Crusade Against Immigration Enforcement.” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, opened by saying violent […]
Chicago tax proposals draw concern over legality, ‘economic death spiral’ | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s allies have launched a seven-figure campaign to support his 2026 budget proposal, but opponents say the mayor’s tax plans will send the city into an economic death spiral and could bring about costly litigation. The Chicago City Council met Tuesday but did not vote on a budget after […]
Chicago council committee rejects mayor’s proposed tax hikes | Illinois
(The Center Square) – The Chicago City Council Committee on Finance has rejected a package of higher taxes proposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson. After the committee voted 25 to 10 against Johnson’s revenue package Monday afternoon, the mayor refused to back down from his proposed corporate head tax. The mayor’s plan would impose a $21-per-worker monthly […]
Illinois patient relies on ACA tax credits, experts warn they drive higher premiums | Illinois
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump signed a House-passed short-term spending bill late Wednesday, ending the shutdown and keeping the government open through January, notably without the Affordable Care Act tax credit extensions Democrats had sought to include in the deal. House Democrats plan to push for a vote on a three-year extension of […]